EVENTS AT SEA
"All the Things that Can Go Wrong On A Cruise"


2008

The table below lists "events at sea" occurring after January 1, 2007, including cruise ship accidents.  It is based on media reports, passenger reports posted at on-line boards and discussion groups, and reports sent to Cruise Junkie. In reviewing the information, please keep in mind that some cruise lines are given less scrutiny by the media than others, and it is not uncommon for events to not appear in the media.  This information reflects only that which has made it into the public domain.

THE Comprehensive list of Persons Overboard, 1995 - 2008

Events at Sea Broken Down by Cruise Line and by Ship


Events at Sea Involving Ferries

For a list of Health Outbreaks click here

Events at Sea for Previous Years: 2007  2006   2005   2004   2003   2002

To go to CRUISE JUNKIE DOT COM Home page, click here

Safety Watch -- Passenger-Documented Safety Issues

Reported Cruise Industry Spending on Lobbying the US Congress, 1997-2007 (pdf)




Have you been onboard during an "event" or illness outbreak?
Let me know, and send along photos or video if you have them
.
FROM THE ARCHIVES

Ships that have Sunk, 1979 - 2008

Ships that have Grounded, 1972 - 2008

Disabling Accidents, collisions, and fires, 1990 - 2008

Events at Sea Broken Down by Cruise Line and by Ship
EDITORIALS

Is Drinking Water Safe on Cruise Ships?
NOTE:  See attached letter for some background.

A Crew Member's Story follows from event in 2006

Are You Safer on a Cruise Ship Today versus in 1999?  The answer is a resounding.......


Date
Ship
Cruise Line
Event
Type of Incident
May 11
Freewinds
Chuch of Scientology
According to Asian News International, the ship has been was said to be "under seal" on the Caribbean island of Curacao after cancer-causing particles were found on the vessel. According to reports, deadly blue asbestos dust was released during refurbishment of the ship, used by the church as a floating "education centre" and for VIP parties. The ship was originally built in 1968 and sailed as Commodore Cruise Line's Boheme until 1981. Commodore Cruise Line, which predated Carnival Cruise Lines, had the tagline, "A Happy Ship."
Asbestos scare
May 8
Aquamarine
Louis Cruises
The ship is heading to the Greek island of Milos for an emergency inspection after its hull was damaged. The ship with 1200 people onboard suffered a 5-foot (1.5-meter) gash above the water line. The Associated Press reports the ship "scraped against a pier" as it was leaving Iraklion (Crete).
Collision with pier --
Holed hull

May 4
Mona Lisa
The ship ran aground early in the morning on a snadboank about 10 miles from the Latvia coast. It was on its way from Kiel (Germany) to Riga (Latvia). Attempts to free itself were unsuccessful  which meant that almost 1000 passengers needed to be evacuated by the Latvian Coast Guard. There were no known injuries and no known environmental issues. The ship previously ran aground in Venice May 12 2004 and July 26 2003.
Aground
May 3
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
The ship was on its way to Noumea (from Brisbane) when it was forced to drop anchor in a shipping channel near Moreton Island due to engine problems. The ship remained anchored overnight (while repair crew tried to fix the problem) and resumed its voyage the following morning (after being stationery for more than 15 hours). It is not known how the delay will affect the itinerary.
Engine problems
May 2
Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Cruise Line agreed to plead guilty to a charge of criminal negligence in connection with 2003 boiler explosion that killed eight crewmen and injured another 20 (some seriously). A report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board determined the explosion was likely the result of deficient boiler operation, maintenance and inspection.
Guily Plea
April 28
Norwegian Dream
Norwegian Cruise Line
The ship reported 10 of 726 (1.38%) crew and 99 of 1579 (6.27%) passengers had reported ill on an 18 day cruise that began April 13 and which disembarks May 1. Illness
April 26
Grandeur of the Seas
Royal Caribbean International
From a passenger: The Ship developed propulsion problems on April 23 resulting in a 3 hour delay arriving in Bermuda on April 24th. Passengers had tours shortened or cancelled. Midday on April 25 the Captain advised propulsion problems continued and the ship would arrive 3.5 hours late in Baltimore on April 26 (10:30 AM). Those passengers with flight times prior to 2:30 pm were advised to make alternate airline arrangements. A letter was delivered to each stateroom that confirmed the arrival times and stated that a refund of $100.00 per passenger would be offered to cover the cost of ticket changes. (There was no offer to actually cover the increased cost of obtaining last minute flights.)  Many people took the information at face value and made arrangements for flights departing between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm.  The ship actually arrived at the pier in Baltimore at 2:30 pm and disembarking did not start until 4:00 pm. Many people were unable to get to the airport in time to make their “new” flight times. Not a lot of happy campers! Propulsion problems
--
Delays
April 25
Majesty of the Seas
Royal Caribbean International
WFTV reports that a family of five were evicted from the ship late at night on Tuesday (the second day of the cruise) when their 7-month-old child became sick. They think they were kicked off the ship because her symptoms were similar to the Norwalk virus. The child was throwing up and had diarrhea. A doctor on the ship said she was dehydrated and had to be treated in a hospital. The family said a security guard gave them 10 minutes to pack their bags and get off the boat. It was 11 o'clock at night.the father asked if his wife could get out of her pajamas but the response was that there was no time for that. A doctor at the emergency room diagnosed the infant with a cold, not dehydration. He signed a form and cleared her to travel, but the ship had already left and they were stuck in the Bahamas with no passports to get home. They spent $455 on emergecy passports, $650 on plane tickets home, and $600 for the emergency room on toip of the cost of the five night cruise. RCI refuses to reimburse the family for their expenses but did offer to provide  credit on a future cruise. Royal Caribbean takes exception with the parents' account (see Fox News - April 29) and has agreed as a gesture of good will to provide the family with a refund of its cruise fare and reimbursement for its flights home. Family of 5 kicked off cruise
April 23
Navigator of the Seas
Royal Caribbean International
A poster at Cruise Critic writes that the ship is stuck in Lisbon with a problem with a stabilizer. The ship was initially anchored in the Tagis River but was later moved to a berth in port. According to the discussion thread, the ship is not permitted to leave Portugal until the problem is fixed and apparently the ship willl go to Cascais for repairs (the stabilizer fin is apparently going to be cut off/removed). The next two port calls (Cadiz and Malaga) have been cancelled and there is some concern as to whether the ship will make it Barcelona on Saturday as is scheduled. The ship also skipped its scheduled call at Azores which means the only port calls on the transatlantic cruise were Bermuda and Lisbon. UPDATE: The "repairs" in Cascais involved cutting off both aft stabilizers. The ship then left for Barcelona and arrived Friday night. As compensation for missing the three ports and being stuck in Lisbon passengers were given a 20% credit (based on what they paid for their cruise) to be used toward a future cruise.
Stabilizer problems
--
Ports cancelled
April 22
Carnival Victory
Carnival Cruise Lines
A 44 year old man was reported missing by his wife. It is believed he fell overboard 40 miles northeast of Cozumel. A rescue crew from Clearwater's (Florida) Coast Guard Station are helping in the search. While the FBI says there was no foul play, family members disagree saying that man was not suicidal. He was apparently last seen in the ship's casino. Person missing
April 22
Serenade of the Seas
Royal Caribbean International
A passenger writes On the second day of the cruise, the 21st of April, at 5.00 in the morning a helicopter of the US Coast Guard rescued an injured person. The accident happened a few hours before. The ship had to turn and now there is a delay in the next port Cartagena, Colombia. The ship is on its repositioning cruise to Alaska for the summer season.
Shortened Port Call
April 22
Sapphire Princess
Princess Cruises
The was prevented from making its scheduled port call at Dunedin because of bad weather. Winds were expected to whip up to 110 km per hour in the afternoon so even though the ship could get into port at 6AM, there was concern it would not be able to leave with winds so high. It was to be the last cruise ship visit of the 2007-08 season. The ship continued on to Auckland.
Missed Port
April 14
Carnival Conquest
Carnival Cruise Lines
KHOU in Houston reports a Houston man needed 20 stitches after a bloody brawl aboard the ship. According to the news report, the Chapman family  say they were having a good time in the cruise ship’s nightclub when a passenger started beating three members of the family with a metal baton. “He was just watching us, leaning by the bar by himself,” Brenda Chapman said. A Carnival spokesperson said the man was removed from the ship in Jamaica as a result.  They confirmed the altercation happened and said the FBI is handling the investigation. Krystal Chapman said she wanted to fly home when they got to Jamaica but the family had to stay onboard the ship until Sunday, a full 7 days after the fight. Pax on Pax altercation
April 9
Aurora
P&O Cruises
The Hong Kong Information Services Department reports that the Centre for Health Protection is following up on a British report concerning four cases of hepatitis-E infection involving four men on the world cruise which took place January 7 to March 28. The UK Health Protection Agency has been working with the cruise operator and port health authority to distribute health advice to all passengers. People who have been aboard the vessel should seek medical advice if they come down with hepatitis symptoms. Hepatitis-E is a viral infection highly endemic in Central and Southeast Asia, and North and West Africa, as well as Mexico. It is acquired by ingestion of contaminated food or water. Its incubation period ranges two weeks to two months. Symptoms include fever, malaise, anorexia, nausea, abdominal pain, dark urine and jaundice. UPDATE APRIL 30: The BBC reports the number reported coming down with Hepatitis E is now confirmed at 7.
Hepatitis on World Cruise
April 8
Queen of the West
Majestic America Line
Fire broke out in the engine room while the ship was near Maryhill, WA on the Columbia River. The fire was quickly exteniguished but the ship had to be towed to a state part where it was nudge into the river bank for evacuation of th124 passengers and 53 crew. The only reports of injury were from crew members who suffered smoke inhalation while fighting the fire.
Fire
April 4
Le Ponant
Compagnie des Iles du Ponant
Pirates took over the ship with 30 crew on board off the coast of Somalia. The luxury sailing ship was heading from the Seychelles to the Mediterranean Sea when pirates stormed it in the Gulf of Aden. There were no passengers onboard at the time of the attack. The ship was subsequently freed by French military and some pirates arrested following a ransom payment.
Pirate Attack and Seizure
April 3
Zaandam
Holland America Line
The ship reported 13 of 611 (2.13%) crew and 100 of 1428 (7.00%) passengers had reported ill on a 15 day Hawaii cruise that began March 19 in San Diego and which disembarked April 3. Illness
April 1
Van Gogh
The ship was detained by authorities in Funchal, Madeira over unpaid bills by its previous owner, Travelscope. An agreement between the administrators of Travelscope and the current operator, Van Gogh Cruise Line Ltd was reached after a couple of days and the ship was on its way back to the UK. It was on the last leg of a world cruise.
Ship seized
April 1
Inspiration
Carnival Cruise Lines
The ship appears to be having propulsion problems that are affecting port calls. Those interested my wish to check Cruise Critic.
Propulsion problems
March 31
Grand Princess
Princess Cruises
Press in Jamaica reported what appeared to be a fire when the ship was in Ocho Rios -- residents in the area reported the ship came to a halt and there was thick smoke surrounding the vessel. Princess Cruises later reported there had been a breakdown of one of the ship's engines and damage to another. The ship cruised at reduced speeds with delayed arrivals in ports. Repairs were planned without taking the ship out of service.
Engine breakdown
March 31
Ecstasy
Carnival Cruise Lines
The ship returned to Galveston approximately 6 hours late. The reason given by Carnival was propulsion problems. Disembarkation and embarkation were both delayed.
Propulsion problems
March25
Sky Wonder
Pullmantur Cruises
The ship ran aground as a result of strong winds while the port of Kusadasi (Turkey). A total of 1,029 passengers were evacuated and brought to Kusadasi safely; the cruise was canceled. According to Think Spain: It seems that the captain of the'Sky Wonder' made a mistake as he was manoeuvering the elderly vessel towards the dock, and given that the ship's reverse gear was not working and that the Turkish port's tug boats were out of action, could do nothing to prevent her from slowly drifting on to a sand bank where she became stuck. The passengers only agreed to abandon ship after receiving guarantees from the Pullmantour company that organised the cruise. According to one of the passengers, Marta (26, from Madrid), "at the start they only offered us a 50% discount on our next cruise. "A protest meeting was organised and the passengers - already fuming about not being kept informed about the situation - opened negotiations, eventually agreeing to accept not only a full refund (around €900 euros), but also the promised 50% discount. The ship previously ran aground January 2007 -- click here for details.  Turkish-language media in Kusadai write that the ship's grounding did major damage to the city's sewage system. They report that The ship has landed on the sand at a distance of only 20 meters from the yacht harbour (see here and here). The main reason is the failure of small 'guide boats' which help the cruise ships. The experienced- skilled staff of guide boats have been totally substituted after the takeover of the harbor by Royal Caribbean with cheap and uneducated labor. Now, after the destruction of the underwater sewage system, the beaches are full of 'shit'; and the reparation process needs at least 2 months - at the high season of tourism industry. UPDATE:  As of May 9, repairs have not been made and the area stinks (as you'd expect with raw sewage in the harbour).
Aground
---
Damage to sewage system in Kusadasi
March 20
Port of Barbados
Three ships (RCI's Serenade of the Seas, HAL's Maasdam, and Pullmantur's Holiday Dream) were prevented from docking at Bridgetown because of high seas. Two of the ships made it into port, but a decision was made to not disembark passengers. A fourth ship, Silversea's Silver Wind cancelled its call for March 21, also because of sea conditions.
Canceled port call
March 19
Carnival Conquest
Carnival Cruise Lines
The port call at Montego Bay was cancelled -- the Captain announced it was because of a medical emergency. The next scheduled destination is Grand Cayman.
Skipped port call
March 18
Norwegian Spirit
Norwegian Cruise Line
A 44 year old woman fell 65 feet to her death during a zip line ride through the jungle on the Caribbean island of Roatan. She was riding along a steel wire hung between trees in the jungle when either a harness holding her broke or the line snapped -- she and another person (a worker) had both fallen. She was taken to a private clinic on the island, then transferred to a hospital in the mainland city of San Pedro Sula, where she died on Wednesday. The excursion was reportedly at Gumbalimba Park. Fatal accident on shore excursion
March 17
Legend of the Seas
Royal Caribbean International
Several persons from the Dominican Republic were not allowed to leave the ship in Sint Maarten after authorities were tipped off that they intended to stay in the country. The ship home ports in Dominican Republic, making it a good cover for people wanting to leave DR in search of better economic opportunities. Local sensitivity to the issue is raised by past incidents of "ship jumpers."
Some pax not allowed to disembark
March 13
Georgis
Piraeus-based
The ship was evacuated (278 passengers and 35 crew) after it ran aground off the Saronic Gulf island of Poros, near Athens.  The Greek-flagged ship is believed to have hit a reef three nautical miles from the port of Poros, a small island in the Saronic Gulf an hour's distance from the capital that is popular with tourists.Winds up to 40 kilometres (25 miles) an hour were blowing in the area at the time.  The ship was on a day cruise from Piraeus to the Saronic islands of Aegina, Hydra and Poros. Run Aground
March 12
Carnival Victory
Carnival Cruise Lines
The Daily Times (Knoxville) reports on a 12 year old girl who was allegedly raped by a 23-year-old male passenger and left drunk, alone and semiconscious in a hallway at 1:30 a.m. on a cruise that began November 25, 2007.The girl had disappeared and was found on a search of the ship. According to the girl's grandmother, a 14-year-old girl on the ship was approached by the same 23-year-old male passenger and offered alcohol the day before the incident involving her granddaughter occurred. In that incident, the male passenger allegedly threatened to throw the 14-year-old girl's boyfriend overboard after the girl refused the man's offer to join him for drinks. Rape of Minor
(Pax on Pax)
March 11
Artemis
P&O Cruises
The ship left Southampton for the Caribbean on March 10 but was forced to detour to Falmouth for repairs after suffering damage to the anchor stowage area on the bow in stormy weather. The damage does not affect safety but repairs were needed before the ship headed across the Atlantic. The ship should be ready to leave Falmouth March 12.
Storm damage
March 10
Voyager of the Seas
Royal Caribbean International
According to a passenger, there was a small fire onboard that did something to damage the propulsion system of the ship.  As a result the ship's schedule was altered, although it did go to all 3 destinations.  However shore excursions were all shortened. Minor fire
March 9
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
The cruise ending today (14 day Sydney to New Zealand return) reportedly had an outbreak of norovirus affecting approximately 100 passengers. According to a passenger, The increased sanitisation program that was put in place made things unpleasant; instead of relaxing on board you were constantly on guard not to touch the banisters, walking the stairs instead of using the lifts, avoiding contact with any other passenger, waiting in long queues for food because services were disrupted, having to walk around with hand sanitisation gel etc. Staff attitudes were also affected -- deck hands were used as sanitisation crews and were putting in many hours extra, and Wait staffs had to do much more as well, like putting salt and pepper on food, as all salt and pepper pots had been removed. All SPA baths were closed; so were the laundry facilities (which made things unpleasant as under clothes had to be washed in the staterooms and after 14 days at sea fresh clothes were becoming a problem). Illness
March 9
Costa Mediterranea
Costa Crociere
A 39-year-old woman who became angry with her boyfriend reportedly jumped off the ship at 11:56 PM Saturday night. The ship had left Port everglades earlier on a 7 day cruise of the western Caribbean. The Coast Guard was notified at 1:18AM on Sunday, prompting a search for her in the Florida Keys. The unnamed woman jumped overboard about 20 miles southeast of Key Largo. The ship's port call at Key West for the day was cancelled.
Person overboard
March 8
Disney Magic
Disney Cruise Line
According to a poster at DisBoards, the ship is experiencing propulsion problems  which are affecting arrival times in port and are also affecting how smoothly the ship cruises. Passengers were apparently given an onboard credit of $100 because of the problem.
Engine problems
March 6
Norwegian Jewel
Norwegian Cruise Line
Two Canadian passengers were robbed at knifepoint in Castries (St. Lucia).  They had ventured into Pavee thinking the area’s great view made it the perfect place to take pictures. It was 1:30 in the afternoon and being robbed was the last thing on their minds; the cruise line never warned that trekking into villages away from the town center could be dangerous. They paid little attention to three men they saw coming out of their homes on their way up the hill. They reveled in what they saw, the preschoolers and the scenery. The couple stood taking pictures for a few minutes then turned around to head back into town. This time, two men trailed close behind. A third jumped from a nearby bush and that's when they were attacked and robbed. See news story here.
Onshore robbery
March 1
Oosterdam
Holland America Line
From a passenger: We just returned from a 7 day Baja cruise.  Two days into the cruise my fiance became very ill and was quarantined to the cabin for 48+ hours. It was the virus. Naturally this ruined the cruise for us which was an Air America  Progressive Radio cruise, with 400 others. I never could find out how many others were ill, but I believe several. We were offered $200 in ship credit for this disaster, which we refused, going all the way to the Hotel Manager. There were inadequate services in place to deal with this quarantine and I was forced to carry meal trays and clean the bathroom! Regular stewards were not allowed to attend us.
?Illness?
March 1
Carnival Freedom
Carnival Cruise Lines
The ship left Miami for a seven day cruise to the western Caribbean but was forced to retrun to port at 3:15 AM (next day) for a medical emergency. It is unkown how the delay will impact the itinerary which includes Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Ocho Rios.
Returen to port
February 29
Vistamar
Plantours & Partner
The ship had an unscheduled port call at St. Kitts after it docked at the Port Zante Pier. Wind speeds of 25 knots gusting at 30 knots prevented the 11:30 p.m. unberthing of the ship, extending its stay in St. Kitts until Saturday afternoon. See SKN News.
Delayed departure (high winds)
February 28
Celebration
Carnival Cruise Lines
A fugitive wanted by the Atlanta Police Department on charges of felony murder and aggravated assault was arrested by U.S. Marshals just before the ship entered international waters. Derron Williams, 29, was taken into custody aboard the ship at 7 p.m. as the ship was steaming for Freeport, Bahamas. After marshals learned that Williams had flown to Jacksonville and boarded the ship, the Coast Guard ordered the ship to stop before reaching international waters, where federal agents boarded.
Passenger arrested
February 28
MV Saurav
Bangladesh Ferry
The ferry, carrying more than 100 passengers, capsized Thursday after hitting a cargo vessel on the Buriganga River. Most of the 39 dead were women and children who were traveling on the lower deck of the boat; about 20 people remain missing. The ferry had been traveling from Dhaka to the nearby town of Taltala.It sank near shore in the calm river after colliding with a small cargo vessel and many people were able to swim to safety. The cargo vessel was slightly damaged. Ferry Sinks
February 25
Saga Rose
Saga Holidays
An 82-year-old British man drowned while snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef shortly after assuring worried cruise ship staff he was fine and wished to continue his swim.  He was found unconscious in the water a short time later. Despite attempts at resuscitation, the man was pronounced dead at the Hamilton Island Medical Centre. He was travelling with his partner on an over-50s, round-the-world cruise; the ship was anchored near Hamilton Island, when the accident happened.  Death on snorkeling excursion
February 25
Ryndam
Holland America Line
The ship reported 8 of 556 (1.44%) crew and 113 of 1226 (9.22%) passengers had reported ill on a 108 day Mexican Riviera cruise that began February 15 in San Diego and which disembarked February 25. Illness
February 24
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
The ship's arrival/departure (debarkation/embarkation) from Darling Harbour (Sydney, Australia) was delayed by more than eight hours. The reason for the ship's late arrival is not known.Accoridnmg to a passenger:  We learned in the morning that the ship was running late and instead of a midday embarkation we would have to wait until 18:00. On arrival at the Passenger Terminal at about 17:30, we were met with chaos -- passengers were still in the process of disembarking and check-in was terribly long with a huge degree of confusion at all points. We were issued with a number and then promptly stood around trying to look intelligent but feeling distinctly like a herd of sheep. There must have been about 1500 people in an area designed to hold about 500. The public toilets were over loaded and much to be desired, in fact were disgusting. There were attempts to distribute water bottle amongst the crowds with the occasional fruit and crisps, however this was not a very effective exercise either. We finally cleared check-in and boarded the ship at 20:00 with tempers flaring; the ship offered late dinning which I suppose was a small compensation. We set sail at 23:00 and left Sydney in the dark. I think our baggage was finally delivered to our stateroom at about 03:00 in the morning. We were then woken at 10:00 in the morning with a Fire Drill, so not much sleep for many! Delayed  Debarkation & Embarkation
February 24
Carnival Liberty
Carnival Cruise Lines
The ship's arrival in Port Everglades was delayed by more than six hours because of a medical emergency requiring a diversion to Grand Cayman for a 15 year old passenger. Instead of arriving in port between 5:30 and 6:00 AM, it arrived after 11:30 AM. The ship was on an 8 day cruise of the western Caribbean.
Delayed arrival & departure
February 20
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
A passenger from the ship this morning after a snorkeling excursion at Savannah Bay, Virgin Gorda. The 65-year-old man went on a snorkeling excursion with his wife and several others. After about half hour of snorkeling, he reported feeling tired so they decided to return to the beach. While at the water’s edge, he developed difficulties breathing and reported feeling chest pains. He was assisted by other persons from the excursion, one of whom happened to be a doctor. An ambulance was called in. He was taken to the Iris O’Neal clinic where he lost consciousness and stopped breathing. He was pronounced dead at about 11:20 a.m. Death on snorkeling excursion
February 20
Sky Wonder
Pullamntur Cruises
A failure in the steam system left the ship with no electric power -- it took place 10km far from Punta Del Este. The lack of energy left a lot of passengers worried. According to CVC, no one was hurt, despite the turmoil. By morning the crew brought passengers on tenders ashore and the ship was pushed to the local port for repairs. At the end of the afternoon, when passengers returned to the ship from tous, the problem was solved and the trip resumed.
Power failure
February 20
Emerald Princess
Princess Cruises
The port call at Basse-terre, St. Kitts was canceled for both ships because of high winds. An explanation is given in Caribbean Net Newsspaper: “As we are all aware, the pier in St. Kitts lies in a north to south direction on the windward side of the island which means it is fully exposed to the winds out of the east. Ships the size of Crown and Emerald have a very large profile surface area. They also have a large number of balcony cabins providing pockets of further resistance to the wind,” said Nielsen, who added: “With winds in excess of 30 knots out of the east, it is nearly impossible to safely come alongside the berth and even more difficult to maneuver off the berth if the winds conditions do not improve at the time of sailing." Port call canceled (weather)
February 18
Crown Princess
Princess Cruises
Port call canceled (weather)
February 18
Constellation
Celebrity Cruises
A 28 year old Chinese crew member went missing as the ship approached Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale). He had last been seen at 5AM and then did not show up for morning muster an hour later at 6AM. A search of the ship was undertaken but was unsuccessful. The Coast Guard wasnotified of the disappearance at 1:40PM. Person missing
February 17
Holiday
Carnival Cruise Lines
According to WKRG in Mobile, a Carnival spokesperson said the ship returned briefly of a medical emergency. Holiday left Mobile yesterday afternoon on a 5-day cruise to Mexico. The ship turned around 1:30AM because of the medical emergency. Carnival says the the ship was evacuated while the passenger was taken off. Once things were cleared, the remaining passengers got back on and headed to Mexico. The port call at Progresso was cancelled; the ship will stop in Cozumel.
Strange return to port
February 14
Explorer of the Seas
Royal Caribbean International
A passenger reports there was an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness in the first half of the 12 day cruise from New Jersey to the Eastern Caribbean. On its return to Cape Liberty, the ship encountered a violent storm, waves in excess of 25 feet, and gale force winds-force 11) -- this data was reported on our stateroom TV’s (channels 41 or 15). The captain had warned us the day prior that we would be following the storm, but this was not the case-we were in the middle of it. In a question and answer period with some of the officers on Feb. 14, including the assistant captain, he mentioned we had the misfortune of passing through 2 cold fronts and the gulf stream within the same day. The rough sea conditions lasted for 12 hours. The ship was rocking side to side, elevators were padded in the event of injury, waitstaff in the dining areas reported feeling dizzy and ill, plates were dropping, and 2 elevators that day were out of service. Extremely Heavy Seas
February 7
Veendam
Holland America Line
From a passenger: The ship arrived late today at St. Thomas (approximately 2pm, instead of normal time of 8 am) due to a medical evacuation that happened at 3 am yesterday morning. A helicopter was called to evacuate the passenger. The delay was also caused by engine trouble, which the Captain described as "oil overheating", and had to reduce speed to reduce the temperature of the oil. Once arriving in St. Thomas, the passengers will have to see immigration officials, as per the Jones Act, and the Veendam will have to depart at 5pm to make it's next port of call in Dominica. All shore excursions are cancelled. According to rumor, Head Office in Seattle would not let the Captain skip the port of St. Thomas as they insisted they stop there.  The ship left Tampa Feb 3 on a 14 day cruise.
Delayed arrival in port
February 4
Ecstasy
Carnival Cruise Lines
The ship's arrival in Galveston was delayed close to seven hours as a result of fog -- it was just ending a four night cruise to Cozumel. Departure of the following cruise, a three night cruise to Progresso, was also delayed -- it departed Tuesday instead of Monday.
Fog delays
February 1
Island Star
Island Cruises
A Brazilian newspaper reports (precise date unclear) the ship was adrift for 9 hours and without onboard power for 6 hours in an area between Sao Paulo and Rio. Repairs were made (there was apparently water mixed with fuel) and the ship went on its way.
Loss of power
Adrift
February 1
Carnival Glory
Carnival Cruise Lines
NBC6 in Miami and Coast Guard News report that a 46 year old Indian crew member failed to show up for work at 6:30 AM and is presumed missing at sea. The crew searched the ship and reviewed security tapes before notifying the Coast Guard around 12:30 PM. The COast Guard search was unsuccessful. The ship was en route to Nassau, the last stop on a seven day cruise embarking at Port Canaveral and that included Belize City and Cozumel.
Person missing
February 1
Riverdance
Seatruck Ferries
23 people were airlifted off the ferry in the Irish Sea after the ship ran into difficulties in bad weather. The ferry had apparently been travelling close to Fleetwood in Lancashire, northwest England, when it ran into difficulties after its cargo suddenly shifted. The ship was listing badly and bad weather was hampering the rescue effort. A spokesman for Seatruck Ferries said the ship, bound for Warrenpoint, Ireland, was carrying trucks and trailers. The ship ran aground on the north shore of Blackpool Beach.
Heavy list
--
Abandon ship
January 31
Navigator of the Seas
Royal Caribbean International
A 29 year old Jamaica crew members was arrested in Belize today. Ship security officers found the crew member him with a parcel of white powder believed to be cocaine taped to the inside of his thighs. The ship was 5 miles out of Belize City - but they figured he had picked up the drugs when he came onshore, so they called the CIB Office in Belize City. The crew member was arrested and the powder was sent for testing. And while it looked like cocaine and was concealed like cocaine, it was not. A test showed that it was just non-narcotic white powder. But still, police believe the man had bought what he thought was cocaine - which is still an offence - but not nearly as serious as trafficking cocaine. He was charged with the rarely used offence: "supplying a substance other than controlled drugs." Non-drug drug bust
January 28
Oceana
P&O Cruises
A passenger was gunned down after docking on Venezuela’s paradise island of Margarita aboard the ship. According to The Sun, the 53 year old man was  buying a cold drink as his wife popped into a shop when the mugger thrust a pistol in his chest and demanded his cherished £10,000 Rolex watch. He ignored him, turned away – and was shot. As he collapsed with blood pouring from his wound, the gunman fired two more bullets which narrowly missed him. The attacker then pistol-whipped him around the head before grabbing the 18-carat gold watch. Amazingly, the bullet had missed the man’s heart by millimetres and passed straight through his body with only minor damage. He returned to the ship after a hospital visit and continued on the cruise (although he refused to leave the ship the remainder of the 14 day cruise).
Passenger shot on shore
January 28
Enchantment of the Seas
Royal Caribbean International
The ships was unable to make our port call in Grand Cayman due to rough seas.  Shore excursion fees were refunded however no credits or allowances were provided. The ship arrived at the next port, Ocho Rios, the following morning Canceled port call (Rough seas)
January 28
Holiday
Carnival Cruise Lines
WKRG in Mobile reports the CDC is looking into an outbreak blamed for making 22 of 686 crew (3.21%) and 121 of 1548 passengers (7.82%) sick onboard the ship, which returned this morning from a 5 day cruise to Cozumel. Illness
January 28
Balmoral
Fred Olsen
The ship's inaugural sailing scheduled for January 30 has been canaceled. After arriving in Dover four days later than panned, a number of unforseen technical isues emerged and led to the cancelation. The Caribbean cruise scheduled for February 13 remains on schedule.
Canceled Sailing
January27 Norwegian Star
Norwegian Cruise Line
The ship reported 32 of 1104 (2.9%) crew and 228 of 2430 (9.39%) passengers had reported ill on an 8 day Mexican Riviera cruise that began January 19 in Los Angeles and which disembarked January 27. Illness
January 22
Pacific Star
P&O Australia
The ship returned one day late from an 8 day cruise from Auckland to Vanuatu and Mystery Island after confronting high seas (7 metres) associated with Cyclone Funa. According to the New Zealand Herald, five passengers reported injuries. The ship sailed into the worst of the storm on Sunday night (January 20), which smashed glasses, moved furniture, and caused the cruise ship to issue warnings asking passengers to take care around the ship and avoid exposed decks. An announcement at 10.50pm asked passengers to return to their cabins or remain seated, explaining that the "rolls" the ship was experiencing were due to two swells coming from different directions. Extremely  heavy seas
 --
Delay
January 21
Inspiration and Imagination
Carnival Cruise Lines
Both ships were prevented from making their call at Grand Cayman Island because of weather conditions. The ships had a day at sea and continued on to their next port of call.
Canceled port call (Weather)
January 17
Norwegian Pearl
Norwegian Cruise Line
Reported in the St. Lucia Star January 21:   "Six cruise ship passengers, two Americans and four Canadians were on a forest trail above the Botanical Gardens [at Soufriere] when two masked men, one yielding a machËte and the other a gun, robbed them of their ID, jewelry, purses and wallets.  The two tour guides were robbed of their monies and one of them, Katia Polius, attempted to call for help on her cell phone. The bandits noticed and landed her with several kicks. When the masked men left, it is reported that the female guide reassuringly escorted the guests to their taxi . . . then fainted." Robbery on shore excursion
January 16
Noordam
Holland America Line
The ship reported 12 of 816 (1.47%) crew and 103 of 1980 (5.2%) passengers had reported ill on a Southern/Eastern Caribbean cruise that began January 5 in New York City and which disembarked January 16.
Illness
January 13
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
A passengers writes that "many, many passengers" came down with gastrointestinal illness during the seven day cruise from San Diego to the Mexican Riviera. The CDC has not reported an outbreak. which requires 3% or more of passengers to report illness to the infirmary -- in the case of this ship there would need to be 60 passengers reporting ill to meet the CDC threshold. NOTE: A passenger on the cruise embarking January 20 also reports a large number of passengers with gastrointestinal illness during the cruise. Illness
January 12
Volendam
Holland America Line
The ship reported 7 of 608 (1.15%) crew and 85 of 1451 (5.86%) passengers had reported ill on a Southern/Western Caribbean cruise that began January 2 in Fort Lauderdale and which disembarked  January 12.
Illness
January 11
Star Princess
Princess Cruises
From a passenger:  There was a fire in the incinerator room on deck 3 on the Star Princess this morning (Jan 11). We knew that something was up when the captain called for an assessment crew for the incinerator room on deck 3. I was at the purser's desk when a bell sounded an alarm and the captain announced that the crew was to respond to an emergency. The pursers ran out of the room, the gift shops closed and we could see the crew with their life jackets on. In a few minutes the captain came on and announced that a small fire in the incinerator had been put out. I was impressed with how fast the crew responded and that the captain let us know what was going on as soon as he could. The ship left Buenos Aires yesterday and is en route to Port Stanley (Falkland Islands).
Fire
January 10
Pacific Princess
Princess Cruises
The ship reported 3 of 369 (0.81%) crew and 33 of 642 (5.14%) passengers had reported ill on a cruise that began December 15 in Tahiti and which disembarked at Ft. Lauderdale January 10. The illness was confirmed as caused by e. coli. Illness
January 8
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
Another pedophile has been evicted from a P&O ship. According to the Daily Telegraph, "In relation to the latest paedophile ... the company had become aware of his prior offence and exercised their right to disembark him from the Pacific Sun cruise ship in Noumea." According to Radio New Zealand International police in New Caledonia deported the man after he and his family were taken off the ship -- he was believed to pose a risk to the 250 children on board.
Passenger evicted / deported
January 5
Maasdam
Holland America Line
Dozens of people, just disembarked from the ship, were injured when a car collided with their bus while traveling west on I-595 near the interchange with Florida State Road 7 and Florida Turnpike. According to Associate Press, at least four people were critically injured, four others seriously injured and at least 20 people sustained minor injuries.
Onshore bus accident
January 5
Pacific Star
P&O Australia
According to TV New Zealand, French police were called to the ship during a stopover in Lifou Island, in New Caldedonai's Loyalty Islands group where they removed and sent home a 37 year old Australian man who allegedly attacked a 46 year old New Zealander. The woman was found in a state of shock and and suffering bruises in the early hours of the morning of New Years day. She told police in New Caledonia she had been raped in the man's cabin while the ship was docked, but said she was too drunk to recall all the details, local sources said. It is understood the Australian man said he had engaged in consensual sex with the woman. Police are also investigating accusations of drink-spiking during the cruise (see Daily Telegraph). Rape
January 4
Constellation
Celebrity Cruises
A Canadian woman died during a dive excursion to the Proselyte Reef, a few miles off Great Bay Harbour. According to her husband, she was a certified diver. Shortly after descending to the dive site she indicated she wanted to return to the surface and was brought to the surface by the dive guide and her husband and taken into the dive vessel. She became unwell shortly after. After security personnel went to get her some water she was found lying on the floor with “foam” running from her mouth and nose. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) was administered, while the dive company’s office was called for help. After the other divers had come to the surface the victim was immediately brought ashore. She was pronounced dead at approximately 10:45am by a medical doctor after she was brought back to shore by dive company Scuba Fun. Death on Shore Excursion
January 4
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
Radio New Zealand reports French police in New Caledonia on December 22 deported an Australian citizen with a paedophile history who was on board the ship.  The 43-year-old was arrested during a stopover in Noumea after police received information from their Australian federal counterparts, that the individual was a high risk repeat offender, and had served 18-months jail in New South Wales in 2004. At that time he was found guilty of disseminating paedophile pictures and indecent assault on minors. This brings to four the total of arrests of Australian citizens with a paedophile history since October last year. Passenger deported
January 4
Oriana
P&O Cruises
A passenger writes that after departing Madeira for Southampton on the homeward journey the ship experienced a force 10 storm wich lasted for at least 12 hours.  It was difficult  to remain in bed during the night due to the pitching and rolling. On comparing notes with other passengers in the morning (walking wounded) many experienced cuts and bruises - but the main thing that emerged was how terriyfying the whole experience had been and people were amazed how a ship the size of the Oriana had been so badly buffetted.  Bizzarely, when we received the 'captain's log' of the journey on the final day of the cruise there was absolutely no mention of the force 10, nor about the fact that we had a loss of all electrics (no engines, toilets, lifts, etc) for about an hour mid Atlantic when we just drifted, on the outward journey. The ship was on a 21 day cruise from/to London which crossed the Atlantic to BVI and returned from Barbados via Madeira.
Extremely high seas
January 3
Carnival Liberty and Imagination
Carnival Cruise Lines
Both ships were prevented from making their call at Ocho Rios because of rough seas associated with a weather cold front. The ships had a day at sea and continued on to their next port of call. See Jamaica Observer for the story.
Canceled port call (Weather)
January 3
Radiance of the Seas
Royal Caribbean International
Passengers spent up to two hours bouncing around on small tenders in rough seas after it became impossible to get them back to their ship in George Town Harbour (Grand Cayman). Cruise lines had been advised to make the last tender at 2pm, but a weather front came through sooner than anticipated, which forced tendering from George Town to Spotts Dock on the south side of Grand Cayman. Rather than using the services and larger tendering vessels of Caribbean Marine Services, Radiance of the Seas chose to use their own lifeboats to tender passengers. The experience for passengers was not pleasant, as described in an article in the Cayman newspaper.
Rough sea for tendering
January 2
Grand  Princess
Princess Cruises
The port call at Cozumel was canceled because of rough seas and weather. On January 4 the ship stopped at Freeport instead of Princess Cays.
Canceled port call (Weather)
January 2
Veendam
Holland America Line
The port call at Belize was cancelled today because of rough weather. Passengers were refunded ports fees and plied with free champagne.
Canceled port call (Weather)
January 1
Ecstasy
Carnival Cruise Lines
Port call at Progresso canceled because of high winds. Passengers were compensated with an onboard credit of $25 (roughly equivalent to port fees associated with the port call).
Canceled port call (Weather)
January 1
Fram
Hurtigruten
The ship's January 2 cruise has been canceled so the ship can undergo repairs after its brush with a glacier December 28. The cruise scheduled for January 10 from Ushuaia is expected to proceed as planned.
Cancelation

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